


Our heads are round so we can change the direction in which we think

by crimsoxcore



Series: racing hearts & ticking clocks - [higurashi oneshots and stories] [17]
Category: Higurashi no Naku Koro ni | Higurashi When They Cry
Genre: Character Growth, Delusions, Gen, Hallucinations, Miracles, Past Memories, based around tsumiboroshi hen, memories of other timelines, rena was just trying to help
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-29
Updated: 2018-07-29
Packaged: 2019-06-18 08:09:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,345
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15481404
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/crimsoxcore/pseuds/crimsoxcore
Summary: Was this what the elders had meant by reinventing himself? Keiichi wasn't sure. All he knew was that he had indeed grown much stronger, not just in this life. Now, it was time to see if Rena could do the same.





	Our heads are round so we can change the direction in which we think

 Keiichi was lying awake in his bed, unable to fall asleep. He glanced at the clock on his wall, a quarter past midnight. Had it really gotten that late? Hard to say, his thoughts were muddled and his head was murky. He traced meaningless patterns in the air with his fingers, as the seconds ticked away.

Tick.

_Tick._

_Tick._

**_Tick._ **

Keiichi was sure he was going to lose his mind if he laid there listening to the clock for any longer. So, he allowed the murky waters of his mind to clear out, and form thoughts.

He began to think back to the train, on his way down to Hinamizawa. A random thing, and he began to question what he was even trying to do. But he remembered the train, and how he had spent the entire ride staring out the window. Thinking. _Hoping._

_At the time, he didn't know what it was that he expected out of this new life._

_But now, he understood very clearly._

The person who Keiichi used to be - who would hide out on the streets, terrorizing the innocent children with his plastic gun, the one with the horrid reputation living in constant boredom, and entertaining himself in the sickest of ways. Keiichi could barely recognize that person anymore, and quite frankly? He didn't like them, at all. He despised that person and was ashamed to know it was him who did it.

But Rena's words had struck him hard - that if he had to keep such dark secrets from him, they weren't really friends. So, he'd do it for Rena. If telling his friends about that dreadful person Keiichi is ashamed to hide in his past is the only way to make Rena happy, he'd do it. He refused to give up on this, because if he did, then all the good times he had spent with them would also become meaningless.

.

The next day, Keiichi gathered all of his friends - except for Rena as she wasn't present - outside. He told them everything, everything. About who he once was, and the awful things he had done. Rika looked up at him concerned. "Keiichi... What do you expect to happen now that you've told us all this?" She asked him, hiding her concern behind a sweet, gentle tone.

Keiichi looked at her, and he sighed. "I-I don't know," He admitted. "I just... I felt awful for keeping all of this from you... "

Mion began to laugh at him, her green ponytail bobbing up and down as she cackled. "Keiichi...you don't have to tell us everything," She said, making her own tone soften down as well. "I know everyone has their stories of pain and sadness or things that they don't want to bring up. But if you can't be a good friend without telling that, then I don't need any friends at all!" She remarked, giggling again.

Satoko, who has been oddly quiet up until now, spoke up too. "All that matters," She began. "Is that your a good person now! Right?"

Keiichi stared at them. "Y-You, guys..."

A series of memories hit him like a freight train that he wasn't prepared for. All of the sudden, he heard the roaring engine, the shrilling whistles, and then he saw the blinding lights flash before his eyes, blinding him, not even giving him time to think as the large vehicle slams into him, crushing him over in an elaborate mess of sorrows. They hit, and they hit hard, giving Keiichi no time to react.

First, he saw Mion. She was standing in front of him, with eerie slits in her eyes - no wait, that wasn't right. She wasn't a demon, she didn't resemble one at all - she wasn't fighting back tears as Keiichi yelled at her.

"If you're keeping secrets from me, then are we really friends? No! You're not my friends!"

But... it wasn't this Mion, it was a different Mion, one from a parallel universe, perhaps? Keiichi didn't know. Whether it was a different universe or not didn't matter, and it didn't justify his sin.

But the visions only got worse.

He saw Mion and Rena, standing in front of him. Rena was laughing, a sickening laugh, a laugh that made Keiichi's stomach sink. Mion was holding a needle, a she was about to inject it into him.

Only it wasn't a needle. It was a black sharpie marker.

Rena wasn't laughing that awful laugh, either. She was giggling, a cute giggle.

How could Keiichi ever see such awful things? What had happened to him?

The worst was the last vision he had - where he beat Mion to death, bashed her face in with a bat that wasn't even his.

Rena was reaching out to him, with the very last breaths she took, murmuring; "Believe in me."

But Keiichi pulled the bat higher into the air, unable to see her outstretched arms, unable to see what she was trying to do. He wanted to believe she was trying to help him, but he couldn't. So he _smashed_ her pleading face _bloody_ with the baseball bat.

Then, the visions disappeared, as quickly as they came. Keiichi couldn't believe what he had just saw.

He screamed out in agony, screaming out how he had killed Mion and Rena when they were just trying to help. He screamed about how awful he was for doing such a thing, for how he should've listened to them, especially Rena, who risked her life for him.

His screams were so loud and paralyzing, Chie-sensei came outside to see what was the matter. Mion and Satoko ran over to her, assuring her that everything was okay. Skeptical, Chie Rumiko pulled the two inside for further questioning.

However, Furude Rika stayed with Keiichi.

She was amazed by what had happened and proud. Proud of Keiichi's growth - not only in this world but in the others. She began to pat Keiichi's head reassuringly, as a gust of wind blew over, sending her wisps of indigo-colored hair blowing to the right, making Rika almost look like a godly figure.

Keiichi looked up at her, trying to swallow tears of remorse.

She began to speak, in a tone unfamiliar to Keiichi, but one that didn't sound unlike Rika.  
"So, you remember too?" She asked.

Keiichi answers that he does, "not here, but in a different world!"

In response, Rika places her hand on Keiichi's head and says, "Let's forgive Keiichi." He stops crying for a moment and looks up at her. She explains that he was able to realize his sin. Then, she sighs sadly.

"The others wouldn't understand your sin, so they can't forgive you," She informs him, her violet eyes growing distant. "Only I can understand Keiichi's sin, so I shall forgive you."

"R-rika..." He stutters.

To herself, Rika's voice becomes more serious, as Keiichi stares at the little girl in wonder.

"I understand that this is a miracle," She remarks, the wind blowing again, stronger this time.

She speaks to Keiichi in this serious voice to explain that Keiichi "should now know what is happening to Ryūgū Rena." Keiichi recognizes that she is acting like he did "that time." He knows that Rena wants to trust her friends but cannot. In frustration, he pounds his fist on the ground as he realizes that, in that other time, Rena tried to help him and died. Keiichi vows that he still has time and will not give up; "Tragedy can be avoided! Fate can be resisted!"

In a rather serious tone, Rika states; "I learned how the will to battle can be so beautiful and divine and even have the power to overturn fate. For this reason, I will fight with you."

Keiichi nods confidently. He may not fully understand what Rika is saying, but he understands what Rena is going through and vows to help her in any way he possibly can.

As he speaks, the cicadas begin to sing, their songs echoing throughout Hinamizawa, causing chills to go down Rika's spine.

"I believe in you, Keiichi."


End file.
